Breathometer: A Keychain Breathalyzer for Smartphones

Breathometer: A Keychain Breathalyzer for Smartphones

A new device has been created with the hope of reducing the number of drunk drivers on the road by giving smartphone owners a simple way to check their blood alcohol content before getting behind the wheel.

Breathometer is a small, keychain-ready device with a retractable 3.5mm plug for attaching to the headphone jack of iPhones and Android smartphones. Once attached, an app is used to measure the user’s breath.

The company has begun taking pre-orders for the device, due to ship out starting this summer to high-paying early adopters. Starting at $20, pre-orders are being handle through crowdfunding site Indiegogo, where users can pay up to $500 to help fund the device and receive perks such as faster delivery, T-shirts, and even tickets to a launch party in San Francisco.

Upon its official release, the device will be available through Breathometer.com, Apple’s iTunes App Store, and Google Play. The company is currently awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

“Breathometer wasn’t created just to address the risks associated with drinking and driving, but to help people, their friends and family, all to make smart and safer choices when consuming alcohol. Real time BAC measurement is the first step,” said Breathometer’s founder and CEO, Charles Michael Yim.

“Breathometer is as much for a parent as it is for someone who ‘parties.’ Both want an easier way to be smart and safe — for themselves, as well as the people they care about,” added Yim.

But college students might have other things to say about that. At the University of Missouri, students doubted the device’s mission of preventing drunk driving.

“If you’re consuming alcohol already and making poor decisions, you’re not going to make a smart decision to take a breath test,” said MU freshman Kyle Holtzman to student newspaper, The Man Eater.

Another MU student, junior Meghan Fuller, suggested the app could be used as a game to see who has the highest blood alcohol level and using the person with the lowest as the designated driver.

Last week, HackCollege’s Andrew Zack gave us a great look at the negative impacts of binge drinking. Your liver has requested that you read it before going out this Friday night.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Frost is a HackCollege contributor completely obsessed with web design and content strategy.
Click here to view all of his posts. Follow him on Twitter: @markfrost

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